2019: ‘Nigeria Not For Sale,’ Junaid Tells Atiku

Ahead of the 2019 presidential election, Junaid Mohammed, a second republic lawmaker, has told former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that he can’t buy the North in particular nor Nigeria in general, with his wealth.

Mohammed said this against the backdrop of alleged vilification of the North by Abubakar.

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The former Vice President had reportedly said laziness was responsible for North’s opposition to restructuring.

“I don’t know what those who are against restructuring are afraid of. Those afraid must be lazy,” The SUN quoted Abubakar as saying.

“I want to agree essentially that there is every need for us to sit down and talk about our future. This is because the arrangements in the last 50 years or so have not served us very well.

“I am not a product of the current structure of Nigeria. I am a product of regional government. I saw the government at work and I have also seen the current arrangement at work.

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“That was why I came out, some people even said to the detriment of my political career, to advocate for restructuring or rearrangement or whatever you call it, of the present structure of the country. I still stand by it. But we cannot determine the nitty-gritty of this restructuring until we are able to dialogue and agree on how we want to continue to live together as a country,” said the former Vice President.

But in reaction, Mohammed said Abubakar thinks joining Southerners in maligning the North will position him for the 2019 presidency.

The elder statesman further said Abubakar’s interest is not really in restructuring but in the 2019 presidency.

“Atiku is a scoundrel and a bloody nonentity. He attained political limelight because the late Musa Yar’Adua put him there; today he wants to position himself as the leader of the north.

“But the north doesn’t give people of no consequence such position. His interest is not really about restructuring. He thinks by insulting the north, the same way we are being insulted by the south that will give him presidency with this kind of attitude; he can’t be the president of Nigeria. He will hear from the north at the appropriate time.

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“He is one of those making the south to abuse the north. He is angry because his monopoly in the oil servicing sector has been broken. His wealth will never buy him Nigeria’s presidency.

“The north is not for sale, Nigeria is not for sale. I pray God sees us beyond 2019, let him challenge me, if he ever becomes Nigeria’s president,” Mohammed said.

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